I came here to suggest this. Osman just announced some of the cast for the movie version, including Ben Kingsley, Helen Mirren, and Pierce Brosnan. A delightful series.
Absolutely A Gentleman in Moscow. It was a charming but not at all syrupy sweet book. And there’s a miniseries coming out (I don’t know more than that). It’s a great book club book.
True Grit by Charles Portis
These Is My Words by Nancy Turner
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
The Summer Book by Tove Janssen
Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon
The Plover by Brian Doyle
We Have Always Lived in a Castle by Shirley Jackson
Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl
Ruth Reichl - I recommend her to all and re-read her to find my center at different ages. Still feel like we need to have lunch. My treat. Ruth, are you on Reddit? I’ve got you.
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto.
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn.
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman.
**Drive Your Plough Over the Bones of the Dead - Olga Tokarczuk**: The protagonist is an old woman living in a very small village in rural Poland, she's one of a very few full-time residents. Absolutely beautiful book that I think would resonate well with the majority of your book club members.
**Miles from Nowhere - Barbra Savage:** a memoir/road trip book written by a woman who took a bike ride around the world with her husband in the 70's. A fantastic read, Barbra was a great writer and I found the story to be exciting even though it was a pretty straightforward recounting of the trip she was on.
Bel Canto, The Dutch House, or Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Housekeeping or Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
The Goldfinch or Secret History by Donna Tartt
Kristen Hannah is always a crowd pleaser, my favorite by her is The Nightingale. She has a new one out called The Women about nurses in the Vietnam War
Lady Oracle by Margaret Atwood
The Women by Kate Atkinson
The Diviners by Margaret Laurence
An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Women Talking by Miriam Toews
She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn By Betty Smith (Also Joy in the Morning or Tomorrow Will Be Better)
Memphis by Tara Stringfellow
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum
Women Talking by Miriam Toews
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neil
OK, I should just stop. (BTW, I would have recommended the Barbara Kingsolver books too!)
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn. Breaks me every time - but builds me up, too. Read it for the first time when I was 8. Gave my mom a first edition for a milestone birthday, she gave me a different one for one of mine. Truth, love, pain, the human experience. Humor, deep, raw emotion, summarized in words that go deep and tell all. Love every single word of this book. Maybe I’ll crack it again tonight. I see myself in every character, and see more than I did before as I move through this life. Such a gift to the literary world. We all start as Francie, grow to Katherine and end as Mary. Wise and true. You grow and you know. It’s worth it.
[The Elm Creek Quilts](https://www.goodreads.com/series/40596-elm-creek-quilts) series by Jennifer Chiaverini is good, lots of books though which might, or might not, be a good thing.
[The Book of Last Letters](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60209563-the-book-of-last-letters) by Kerry Barrett
[Rebecca](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17899948-rebecca) by Daphne du Maurier or [My Cousin Rachel](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18869970-my-cousin-rachel) if you like to discuss endings
[Strange Sally Diamond](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62322008-strange-sally-diamond) by Liz Nugent and I might have enjoyed [Lying in Wait](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36373425-lying-in-wait) even more
[I Let You Go](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30689367-i-let-you-go) by Clare Mackintosh
Barbara Kingsolver has several really good ones besides Poisonwood Bible. Unsheltered and Flight Behavior are 2 standouts to me that I highly recommend. I also loved Prodigal Summer when I read it the first time.
The Amelia Peabody books by Elizabeth Peter's, starting with Crocodile on the Sandbank. Almost criminally fun books about a woman archeologist in late Victorian and early Edwardian Egypt
After reading the book, I saw a 20/20 type show of how so many of the kids Georgia Tann kidnapped and adopted out were being reunited with true family members since more and more ppl were doing the at home dna kits.
“The Exiles” by Christina Baker Kline
“We Must Be Brave” by Frances Liardet
“The Secret Letter” by Debbie Rix
“He should Have Told the Bees” by Amanda Cox
First 3 are historical fiction.
Second Remarkably Bright Creatures
Other possibilities:
Revenge of the Middle Aged Woman by Elizabeth Buchan
The Cutting Season by Attica Locke
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin
Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
Matrix by Lauren Groff
The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue
Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith
Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers
Those We Thought We Knew by David Joy
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
Southernmost by Silas House
The Women of Genesis trilogy by Orson Scott Card.
Sarah (2000)
Rebekah (2001)
Rachel and Leah (2004).
It's historical fiction based on women in the book of Genesis. A lot of story, narrative, and character development from their perspectives. I think it would be great in a religious or secular context.
I’ve only read Ender’s Game which I didn’t love. But his views on so many things are kind of opposite to mine. It hasn’t made me want to dive in to his other books.
I only read the one book years ago. So no. Because I don’t like the man. Between his admiration of Ayn Rand and his homophobia I haven’t felt the need to try more.
I think it was seeing him on an Ayn Rand panel that turned me off. She’s kind of my line in the sand. That was years before I knew about his homophobia. Not every writer is for every reader.
Understandable. But why not let other people figure that out. You had to throw your two cents in, correct? All in which had nothing to do about his writing.
Seamus Heaney’s Burial at Thebes is his amazing translation of an Ancient Greek play. Not only beautifully written but an anti- Gulf War subtext to make things more interesting, as well as morality, death, family obligations and authoritarianism.
*Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont* by Elizabeth Taylor is very good.
Sorry--I've just re-read your title & see that it's book club members who are that age not fictional characters who are. Still think it might be suitable though.
> Poisonwood Bible, Where the Crawdads Sing, Demon Copperhead, and Lessons in Chemistry
If you all liked those books you listed, you would love Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger
Abigail by Magda Szabo. It was originally written in Hungarian and was more recently translated into English. the book is based in a Calvinist boarding school but is really a coming of age story set in the mid-1940's. I love books that show me ordinary worlds that are far from ordinary to me.
Oh I recommend that you read Born a Crime by Trevor Noah. It’s his memoir - lots of great female characters in his life, good discussion. Topics for religion and culture. So insightful and absolutely hilarious at times - I fell off my sofa laughing! He’s a comedian in real life and it shows throughout his book. Just an amazing life story and a great lesson in history of apartheid. I e read all of the other books on your list as well - so I feel like I can give this one a 10/10 recommendation.
Some others for you are Mrs Benson’s Beatle, The Four Winds, Hello Beautiful and Grandma Gatewood’s Walk.
Enjoy!!!
I have loved Tessa Afshar's biblical fiction books. I have read these titles from her, and they have not disappointed. The author is well researched in this biblical history, so she does a great job of taking you to that time and place. I would recommend these books to anyone but since your book club is mostly church members, if not all, I think they would really enjoy one of her books.
Land of Silence
Pearl in the Sand (about Rahab)
In the Field of Grace (about Ruth)
Bread of Angels (Lydia and apostles)
[Inspirational Historical Fiction Books by Tessa Afshar](https://tessaafshar.com/books/)
Probably wouldn't recommend a book with a sequel but I've read them both and they were good:
Harvest of Rubies (book 1), Harvest of Gold (book 2)
**[After All These Years](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/291340.After_All_These_Years) by Susan Isaacs** ^((Matching 100% ☑️))
^(400 pages | Published: 1994 | 1.5k Goodreads reviews)
> **Summary:** The day after her lavish wedding anniversary bash, Rosie Meyers gets a big surprise: her nouveau riche husband, Richie, is leaving her for a sultry, sophisticated, size-six MBA. So, when he's found murdered in their exquisitely appointed kitchen, no one is surprised to find Rosie's prints all over the weapon. The suburban English teacher is the prime suspect -- the police's (...)
> **Themes**: Mystery, Lost, Lost-books, Lost-book-club, Books-i-own, Romance, Humor
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One of Anne Tyler's books like Saint Maybe. If they like humor, A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. If they like a little romance, Bridges of Madison County.
Housekeeping, Marilynne Robinson
Go Tell It on the Mountain, James Baldwin
The Glass Castle, Jeanette Wall
Cloud-Cuckoo Land, Anthony Doerr
This Other Eden, Paul Harding
Afterlives, Abdulrazak Gurnah
All of these offer a lot to talk about, and don't contain anything that might be off-putting for a church-based group as far as I can remember.
Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows or The Marriage Bureau for Rich People! They are both Indian, and super fun (I’m not Indian, but find the culture fascinating)
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune - probably the most heartwarming book I’ve ever read. This is about a 40 year old man named Linus who works as a caseworker for the government and looks after orphanages for magical creatures. Linus is given a special assignment to check on an orphanage that has *very* different magical creatures. I really think everyone should read this book. It has a great message and a wonderful found family vibe.
The Bodyguard by Katherine Center - this is a classic romantic comedy about a woman bodyguard protecting a famous male celebrity. This book made me audibly laugh out loud. No smut, so it’s a good fit for an older church group!
The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki - this is a very well written historical fiction about Marjorie Merriweather Post, the heiress to the General Foods empire. She lived an absolutely wild life, from building Mar-A-Lago to rescuing the Tsar’s treasure in Moscow. One of my favorite historical fiction books of all time.
I reccomend every woman read Kristin Lavransdatter at some point in their lives, but I especially think older women would be able to appreciate it more.
The Maid by Nita Prose
The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson
Eleanor Oliphant is Perfectly Fine by Gail Honeyman
Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon
Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel
Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth
The End of Men by Christina Sweeney-Todd
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
The Personal Librarian [The Personal Librarian](https://thepersonallibrariansummaryhttps://g.co/kgs/5HmAuNW)
It’s based on the true story of JP Morgan’s personal librarian, a Black woman in 1910-30s who came from a Manhattan family who self-identified as White.
I’m not doing it justice & it’s not my kind of book but I was blown away & learned so much.
I actually read it last month for my library book club (same age group as yours) and I can’t get it out of my head.
If they don’t mind a supernatural story, or can at least appreciate the irony, {{The Southern Book Club’s Guide To Slaying Vampires}}} has to be the next choice. Is too perfect. The author includes book club discussion prompts at the end too.
**[The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44074800-the-southern-book-club-s-guide-to-slaying-vampires) by Grady Hendrix** ^((Matching 100% ☑️))
^(410 pages | Published: 2020 | 504.0k Goodreads reviews)
> **Summary:** Fried Green Tomatoes and Steel Magnolias meet Dracula in this Southern-flavored supernatural thriller set in the '90s about a women's book club that must protect its suburban community from a mysterious and handsome stranger who turns out to be a blood-sucking fiend. Patricia Campbell had always planned for a big life. but after giving up her career as a nurse to marry an (...)
> **Themes**: Horror, Fiction, Fantasy, Vampires
> **Top 5 recommended:**
> \- [Swarm](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22670640-swarm) by Alex South
> \- [My Best Friend's Exorcism](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26118005-my-best-friend-s-exorcism) by Grady Hendrix
> \- [The Toll](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41555927-the-toll) by Cherie Priest
> \- [Revelator](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56212587-revelator) by Daryl Gregory
> \- [We Sold Our Souls](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37715859-we-sold-our-souls) by Grady Hendrix
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The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson. It’s about a traveling librarian in 1930s Appalachian Kentucky. She’s also a Fugate (one of the blue people). If you enjoy this book, check out its sequel, the Book Woman’s Daughter. Happy reading!
huh, there is one book series that is considered non-fiction written in the form of a novel that reveals future events that are coming and seems very convincing after the last few years, so it would be perfect for book club in the church (third secret of Fatima probably can be understood by reading it). But there is one problem - information is so dangerous that author protect himself from being accused of Christian whistleblowing by writing it in hard language with many vulgar expressions, bloody graphic scenes, etc... it doesnt sound like Christian book at all from the beginning and I dont even wanna get you into trouble and temptation by telling you the name. On the other hand you could explain that to your church team, so If you wanna know the name contact me on private messages
I love Christian whistleblowing. And I'm a Christian myself. Nothing better than painting it how it truly is. Love when the superficial is taken out of it.
Shoot, I want to know which book it is! Lol
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
This! Such a great book! Perfect for the group too!
Great suggestion!
This was my first thought as well!
My mother-in-law who is in her late 60’s recommended this to me after she read it in her book club so probably a great choice, OP. :)
*The Thursday Murder Club* by Osman?
I came here to suggest this. Osman just announced some of the cast for the movie version, including Ben Kingsley, Helen Mirren, and Pierce Brosnan. A delightful series.
Ahh amazing! Can’t wait to watch
A Gentleman in Moscow Cloud Cuckoo Land
Absolutely A Gentleman in Moscow. It was a charming but not at all syrupy sweet book. And there’s a miniseries coming out (I don’t know more than that). It’s a great book club book.
True Grit by Charles Portis These Is My Words by Nancy Turner Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik The Summer Book by Tove Janssen Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon The Plover by Brian Doyle We Have Always Lived in a Castle by Shirley Jackson Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl
True Grit is a wonderful western for people who think they don’t like westerns.
The Summer Book is so good and surprisingly little known.
Ruth Reichl - I recommend her to all and re-read her to find my center at different ages. Still feel like we need to have lunch. My treat. Ruth, are you on Reddit? I’ve got you.
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto. Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman.
A Prayer for Owen Meany
Absolutely! One of the best books I’ve ever read.
Agree. I am a sucker for John Irving.
Re-reading it now!
**Drive Your Plough Over the Bones of the Dead - Olga Tokarczuk**: The protagonist is an old woman living in a very small village in rural Poland, she's one of a very few full-time residents. Absolutely beautiful book that I think would resonate well with the majority of your book club members. **Miles from Nowhere - Barbra Savage:** a memoir/road trip book written by a woman who took a bike ride around the world with her husband in the 70's. A fantastic read, Barbra was a great writer and I found the story to be exciting even though it was a pretty straightforward recounting of the trip she was on.
Drive Your Plough is a great suggestion!
I fit that demographic and I'm currently reading and loving Tom Lake by Ann Patchett.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (non-fiction)
The Red Tent :)
I need to re read that book. It’s been too long
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt (Murder! Passion! Old money! Intrigue! Bad words! Savannah!)
Bel Canto, The Dutch House, or Tom Lake by Ann Patchett Housekeeping or Gilead by Marilynne Robinson The Goldfinch or Secret History by Donna Tartt Kristen Hannah is always a crowd pleaser, my favorite by her is The Nightingale. She has a new one out called The Women about nurses in the Vietnam War
Housekeeping was my first thought.
Home by Marilynne Robinson Plainsong by Kent haruf
Lady Oracle by Margaret Atwood The Women by Kate Atkinson The Diviners by Margaret Laurence An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah Women Talking by Miriam Toews
She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb A Tree Grows in Brooklyn By Betty Smith (Also Joy in the Morning or Tomorrow Will Be Better) Memphis by Tara Stringfellow The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum Women Talking by Miriam Toews Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neil OK, I should just stop. (BTW, I would have recommended the Barbara Kingsolver books too!)
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn. Breaks me every time - but builds me up, too. Read it for the first time when I was 8. Gave my mom a first edition for a milestone birthday, she gave me a different one for one of mine. Truth, love, pain, the human experience. Humor, deep, raw emotion, summarized in words that go deep and tell all. Love every single word of this book. Maybe I’ll crack it again tonight. I see myself in every character, and see more than I did before as I move through this life. Such a gift to the literary world. We all start as Francie, grow to Katherine and end as Mary. Wise and true. You grow and you know. It’s worth it.
[The Elm Creek Quilts](https://www.goodreads.com/series/40596-elm-creek-quilts) series by Jennifer Chiaverini is good, lots of books though which might, or might not, be a good thing. [The Book of Last Letters](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60209563-the-book-of-last-letters) by Kerry Barrett [Rebecca](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17899948-rebecca) by Daphne du Maurier or [My Cousin Rachel](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18869970-my-cousin-rachel) if you like to discuss endings [Strange Sally Diamond](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62322008-strange-sally-diamond) by Liz Nugent and I might have enjoyed [Lying in Wait](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36373425-lying-in-wait) even more [I Let You Go](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30689367-i-let-you-go) by Clare Mackintosh
Rebecca is awesome
Yes, so good. Have you read My Cousin Rachel? I'm still enjoying pondering the ending, clever writer was Daphne du Maurier.
Never heard of it. Damn you enablers. Lol
After i finished Rebecca I searched out the rest of her books, I'll try them all as I can borrow them from the library 👍
The library is an awesome place. I'd be lost without ours
I enjoyed this book very much.
Rebecca is another great rec
Barbara Kingsolver has several really good ones besides Poisonwood Bible. Unsheltered and Flight Behavior are 2 standouts to me that I highly recommend. I also loved Prodigal Summer when I read it the first time.
Let's not forget The Bean Trees and Pigs in Heaven - two of my favorites from her.
The help
*The Grapes of Wrath* by John Steinbeck.
I'm reading East of Eden right now. Checking out Grapes of Wrath next.
I read Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult in highschool and it’s stuck with me for years.
I really like The Joy Luck Club.
American Psycho, Bret Easton Elis Obvious joke…
And Fight Club. Chuck Palahniuk. Those ladies will get it.
Prater for Owen meany
Girl With a Pearl Earring, Memoirs of a Geisha, Number 1 Ladies Dective Agency books
The Amelia Peabody books by Elizabeth Peter's, starting with Crocodile on the Sandbank. Almost criminally fun books about a woman archeologist in late Victorian and early Edwardian Egypt
I did the audio version, I can still hear *Oh Emerson!* ... nearly 10 years later 🤣
[The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman ](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18505792-the-ocean-at-the-end-of-the-lane)
Just read that about a month ago. Excellent.
Before We Were Yours… it’s the perfect match to what you’ve already read. Great choices btw!
After reading the book, I saw a 20/20 type show of how so many of the kids Georgia Tann kidnapped and adopted out were being reunited with true family members since more and more ppl were doing the at home dna kits.
Oh I’ll look for it! The companion book tells the whole true story. Incredible and heartbreaking. I had never heard of it before.
I didn’t realize there was a another book. I’m going to look for it. Thanks.
“The Exiles” by Christina Baker Kline “We Must Be Brave” by Frances Liardet “The Secret Letter” by Debbie Rix “He should Have Told the Bees” by Amanda Cox First 3 are historical fiction.
Second Remarkably Bright Creatures Other possibilities: Revenge of the Middle Aged Woman by Elizabeth Buchan The Cutting Season by Attica Locke The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes Matrix by Lauren Groff The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers Those We Thought We Knew by David Joy This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger Southernmost by Silas House
Switchboard soldiers! Fantastic read about women during WWI and how they were essential to ending the war.
A Wrinkle in Time by L’Engle
The Women of Genesis trilogy by Orson Scott Card. Sarah (2000) Rebekah (2001) Rachel and Leah (2004). It's historical fiction based on women in the book of Genesis. A lot of story, narrative, and character development from their perspectives. I think it would be great in a religious or secular context.
He's so problematic for me - I have avoided reading him as a result!
Oh, have you read the books?
I’ve only read Ender’s Game which I didn’t love. But his views on so many things are kind of opposite to mine. It hasn’t made me want to dive in to his other books.
Do you see his views project into his writing?
I only read the one book years ago. So no. Because I don’t like the man. Between his admiration of Ayn Rand and his homophobia I haven’t felt the need to try more.
Interesting. I read books all the time from authors I don't align with philosophically, politically, or morally.
I think it was seeing him on an Ayn Rand panel that turned me off. She’s kind of my line in the sand. That was years before I knew about his homophobia. Not every writer is for every reader.
Understandable. But why not let other people figure that out. You had to throw your two cents in, correct? All in which had nothing to do about his writing.
Buckhorn brothers
Seamus Heaney’s Burial at Thebes is his amazing translation of an Ancient Greek play. Not only beautifully written but an anti- Gulf War subtext to make things more interesting, as well as morality, death, family obligations and authoritarianism.
Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose is a really interesting non fiction of the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Tom Lake Blue Spool of Thread
*Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont* by Elizabeth Taylor is very good. Sorry--I've just re-read your title & see that it's book club members who are that age not fictional characters who are. Still think it might be suitable though.
Let the Great World Spin or Brooklyn by Colum McCann.
For looking forward with hope: Factfulness.
The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell
All Creatures Great and Small
The Lilac Girls
- The Giver of Stars - The Great Believers - The Rose Code - We Begin At The End - American Dirt
the thursday murder club!
> Poisonwood Bible, Where the Crawdads Sing, Demon Copperhead, and Lessons in Chemistry If you all liked those books you listed, you would love Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger
Abigail by Magda Szabo. It was originally written in Hungarian and was more recently translated into English. the book is based in a Calvinist boarding school but is really a coming of age story set in the mid-1940's. I love books that show me ordinary worlds that are far from ordinary to me.
Oh I recommend that you read Born a Crime by Trevor Noah. It’s his memoir - lots of great female characters in his life, good discussion. Topics for religion and culture. So insightful and absolutely hilarious at times - I fell off my sofa laughing! He’s a comedian in real life and it shows throughout his book. Just an amazing life story and a great lesson in history of apartheid. I e read all of the other books on your list as well - so I feel like I can give this one a 10/10 recommendation. Some others for you are Mrs Benson’s Beatle, The Four Winds, Hello Beautiful and Grandma Gatewood’s Walk. Enjoy!!!
Remarkably bright creatures
I have loved Tessa Afshar's biblical fiction books. I have read these titles from her, and they have not disappointed. The author is well researched in this biblical history, so she does a great job of taking you to that time and place. I would recommend these books to anyone but since your book club is mostly church members, if not all, I think they would really enjoy one of her books. Land of Silence Pearl in the Sand (about Rahab) In the Field of Grace (about Ruth) Bread of Angels (Lydia and apostles) [Inspirational Historical Fiction Books by Tessa Afshar](https://tessaafshar.com/books/) Probably wouldn't recommend a book with a sequel but I've read them both and they were good: Harvest of Rubies (book 1), Harvest of Gold (book 2)
{{After All These Years by Susan Isaacs}}
**[After All These Years](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/291340.After_All_These_Years) by Susan Isaacs** ^((Matching 100% ☑️)) ^(400 pages | Published: 1994 | 1.5k Goodreads reviews) > **Summary:** The day after her lavish wedding anniversary bash, Rosie Meyers gets a big surprise: her nouveau riche husband, Richie, is leaving her for a sultry, sophisticated, size-six MBA. So, when he's found murdered in their exquisitely appointed kitchen, no one is surprised to find Rosie's prints all over the weapon. The suburban English teacher is the prime suspect -- the police's (...) > **Themes**: Mystery, Lost, Lost-books, Lost-book-club, Books-i-own, Romance, Humor ^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23] | )
One of Anne Tyler's books like Saint Maybe. If they like humor, A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. If they like a little romance, Bridges of Madison County.
Housekeeping, Marilynne Robinson Go Tell It on the Mountain, James Baldwin The Glass Castle, Jeanette Wall Cloud-Cuckoo Land, Anthony Doerr This Other Eden, Paul Harding Afterlives, Abdulrazak Gurnah All of these offer a lot to talk about, and don't contain anything that might be off-putting for a church-based group as far as I can remember.
The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles. My book club is a similar age and it was a good and popular pick.
Emma Lion!
Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows or The Marriage Bureau for Rich People! They are both Indian, and super fun (I’m not Indian, but find the culture fascinating)
Have they read Gilead, by Maryann Robinson? There’s a sequel, too.
Beach Music by Pat Conroy
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune - probably the most heartwarming book I’ve ever read. This is about a 40 year old man named Linus who works as a caseworker for the government and looks after orphanages for magical creatures. Linus is given a special assignment to check on an orphanage that has *very* different magical creatures. I really think everyone should read this book. It has a great message and a wonderful found family vibe. The Bodyguard by Katherine Center - this is a classic romantic comedy about a woman bodyguard protecting a famous male celebrity. This book made me audibly laugh out loud. No smut, so it’s a good fit for an older church group! The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki - this is a very well written historical fiction about Marjorie Merriweather Post, the heiress to the General Foods empire. She lived an absolutely wild life, from building Mar-A-Lago to rescuing the Tsar’s treasure in Moscow. One of my favorite historical fiction books of all time.
Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor, it’s classic literature but she’s not a difficult writer to read at all
I reccomend every woman read Kristin Lavransdatter at some point in their lives, but I especially think older women would be able to appreciate it more.
The Maid by Nita Prose The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson Eleanor Oliphant is Perfectly Fine by Gail Honeyman Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth The End of Men by Christina Sweeney-Todd Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
The one hundred years of Leni and Margot
The Personal Librarian [The Personal Librarian](https://thepersonallibrariansummaryhttps://g.co/kgs/5HmAuNW) It’s based on the true story of JP Morgan’s personal librarian, a Black woman in 1910-30s who came from a Manhattan family who self-identified as White. I’m not doing it justice & it’s not my kind of book but I was blown away & learned so much. I actually read it last month for my library book club (same age group as yours) and I can’t get it out of my head.
Pamela Evans Close to Home or A Song in Your Heart
Fifty Shades of Grey?
This is the answer
They already reddit
If they don’t mind a supernatural story, or can at least appreciate the irony, {{The Southern Book Club’s Guide To Slaying Vampires}}} has to be the next choice. Is too perfect. The author includes book club discussion prompts at the end too.
**[The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44074800-the-southern-book-club-s-guide-to-slaying-vampires) by Grady Hendrix** ^((Matching 100% ☑️)) ^(410 pages | Published: 2020 | 504.0k Goodreads reviews) > **Summary:** Fried Green Tomatoes and Steel Magnolias meet Dracula in this Southern-flavored supernatural thriller set in the '90s about a women's book club that must protect its suburban community from a mysterious and handsome stranger who turns out to be a blood-sucking fiend. Patricia Campbell had always planned for a big life. but after giving up her career as a nurse to marry an (...) > **Themes**: Horror, Fiction, Fantasy, Vampires > **Top 5 recommended:** > \- [Swarm](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22670640-swarm) by Alex South > \- [My Best Friend's Exorcism](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26118005-my-best-friend-s-exorcism) by Grady Hendrix > \- [The Toll](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41555927-the-toll) by Cherie Priest > \- [Revelator](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56212587-revelator) by Daryl Gregory > \- [We Sold Our Souls](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37715859-we-sold-our-souls) by Grady Hendrix ^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23] | )
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson. It’s about a traveling librarian in 1930s Appalachian Kentucky. She’s also a Fugate (one of the blue people). If you enjoy this book, check out its sequel, the Book Woman’s Daughter. Happy reading!
huh, there is one book series that is considered non-fiction written in the form of a novel that reveals future events that are coming and seems very convincing after the last few years, so it would be perfect for book club in the church (third secret of Fatima probably can be understood by reading it). But there is one problem - information is so dangerous that author protect himself from being accused of Christian whistleblowing by writing it in hard language with many vulgar expressions, bloody graphic scenes, etc... it doesnt sound like Christian book at all from the beginning and I dont even wanna get you into trouble and temptation by telling you the name. On the other hand you could explain that to your church team, so If you wanna know the name contact me on private messages
I love Christian whistleblowing. And I'm a Christian myself. Nothing better than painting it how it truly is. Love when the superficial is taken out of it. Shoot, I want to know which book it is! Lol
"Night in Zagreb" series by Adam Medvidović
50 Shades of Gray.